Things you might want to know: The horrible Tyler/Caroline drama where he bit her didn't happen! They are all haps and in love because that's how we like them. Klaus, Stefan and all the hybrids left after 3x11 and so all is well in Mystic Falls.

Also I apologize for the god-awful summary and title...my imagination was having a day off.

Chapter One

It was luck. Nothing more and nothing less. Luck that I'd just so happened to be in the unused library of the Boarding House. Luck that I'd opened the cupboard with the rusty hinges at the very back. Luck that I'd picked up that book in particular and luck that it had fallen open on that page.

Dear Diary, it said, Today, thirteen years ago, Francesca and I received a blessing. The greatest blessing of all…a child. A son no less; our first and eldest son to continue the great Salvatore name. It's strange to think that in a world this evil, such a miracle could occur. He's a striking boy, my son Damon, even at this young age. With raven hair and his mothers ice blue eyes…the only ones I get to see anymore.

At this moment he and Stefan are playing in the gardens; chasing each other around and climbing trees I imagine. Their laughter is echoing all around the plantation and it seems almost infectious. Everyone is happy today; proud of my boy. He told me this morning that he plans to join the army one day soon. He said he wants to make me proud one day soon. And one day soon I'll tell him that he already has…that I am.

Giuseppe Salvatore,

28th June, 1853

I was speechless, to tell the truth. Somehow I'd uncovered Damon's father's journals from way back in the nineteenth century. Sure enough they were all falling apart and the pages were dry and smelt old but it was still a shock.

Hang on…28th June…shit…that's in three days. Fuck…

I had to do something…plan something…definitely buy him something. But what could you get a 170 year old vampire? It wasn't that easy to know. Anyway, I put that thought to the back of my mind, turning over the dry page. The old book crackled with the movement. It was sitting on the floor in front of me where I sat, cross legged Indian-style, leaning over it. My hair was pulled up into a top knot so it wouldn't get in the way.

But as I turned the page, I found there was nothing written, save a splodge of ink on the yellowing paper where he'd clearly held the pen over the page, as if he didn't know what to write. I kept carefully turning each leaf until, three pages later I found more writing.

Dear Diary, 28th June 1864

The guilt is overwhelming. It tears me apart. I don't know how to live with it anymore. Today is his birthday. Exactly three months ago today I killed him…I aimed the gun and shot the bullet straight into his heart. The wooden bullet…because that's what we'd been hunting that night…that was the creature my boys were trying to help. The monster that my dear, dear boys loved. What fools they were…what a fool I was to allow that monster into my home.

I killed my sons. And for a while the guilt was held back; away from me. I couldn't feel it because it hadn't really been them.

Today is Damon's birthday. My poor boy. I'd do anything to see the two together again; best friends through thick and thin. It struck me before I put this pen to this paper that I wouldn't care if they were the monsters I hated; as long as I got to see them one more time. To apologize…to tell them both I loved them. But that's not possible…I don't deserve such a blessing as to be given a chance. I deserve a fate worse than death for what I did to my own flesh and blood.

But on this day, on this fine, beautiful day, I will go down to the lake on the plantation. The lake beside which my dear Francesca now lays. The lake where Damon spent his days. I will go there, and I will say for the last ever time, Happy Birthday to my beautiful boy.

Giuseppe Salvatore

There were tears in my eyes as I reached the end of the page, and as Giuseppe Salvatore signed off, a single pearl of water slipped down and landed on the page. I didn't quite know what to say or do. I couldn't help but wonder if Damon knew about this. He'd always portrayed his father as a cold, cruel man who favoured Stefan, the 'golden child' to him. Because he was the 'rebel' of the family and that was bad.

An idea sprung to my mind; one that could swing two ways…to both extremes. One would make Damon happy…beyond happy. The other? The other would make him angry…furious no less. And if so then he would hate me…but it was worth a try.

I slipped the old journal carefully into my bag and stood up, wiping my eyes quickly to make sure there was no evidence of tears. I knew Damon was downstairs in the parlour so I'd have to pass him on the way out. And I did. As I walked down the stairs I found him sprawled out on one of the sofas read a book, a tumbler of bourbon rested on his toned stomach and his ankles crossed. No wonder he was arrogant; he was a literally an Adonis.

"Lena what have I told you about staring?" His voice brought me out of my reverie and I smiled. I'd practically been living here since Jeremy left five months ago. Ric had been spending more time at his apartment anyway and I hated being in an empty house nowadays. The Boarding House was perfect and Damon had made clear that I was, and always would be, welcome there.

Over these months we'd gotten even closer, if that was possible. Caroline, and pretty much everyone else, had told me that the sexual tension between us was almost painful to be around and apparently she didn't know how I could take it. To be honest I knew it was there; how could I not? It was impossible to ignore, but if, at anytime, I gave in…then I'd have to change my name to Katherine Pierce and that wasn't exactly an appealing condition. It didn't matter my feelings for him; us doppelgangers were designed to ruin Salvatore men.

"Helloooo? Anyone in there?"

I blinked, knowing I'd drifted off twice in under a minute; pat on the back Elena, "Sorry, I'm a little tired. I was staring because you look like an alcoholic and is it just me or are you reading 'Atonement'? My copy." It was the book we were studying in English and Damon Salvatore, the vampire psychopath…was reading it. "A little girly for you isn't it?"

He shot me a glare, "I just like the bit in the library-"

I rolled my eyes and continued down the stairs, "You're gross." I informed him with a smile and he just smirked and threw the book onto the coffee table. I picked it up and put it in my bag to take home. As I stood there I could feel him staring at me.

"Have you been crying?" He questioned suddenly, swinging his legs onto the floor and standing up to face me.

"No." I lied.

He cocked an eyebrow, "Care to explain that tear track and those red eyes then? I'm a vampire Lennie, I can see these things." He said it lightly but the concern was evident on his face.

I sighed and shrugged, giving him a small smile, "Fine, sad book. I was in the library upstairs."

"There's a library upstairs?"

Again I rolled my eyes and began towards the front door, "You knew that Damon, don't act dense; it's not a good look on you."

"Every look's a good look on me!" Such a Damon thing to say, "Hey, where are you going?" He called as I passed through the archway into the hall.

"Back to mine; I have some things to do and need to get this work done. I have an essay that I have to give to Ric tomorrow morning and I need to finish it." I explained, little did he know I'd already finished it. I was going home to plan his birthday surprise.

"Do it here. I'm pretty sure there's a desk somewhere in this house." He said, wandering into the hallway behind me, tumbler in hand.

"I could name at least three. You really need to get to know the house you've owned for the past century." He smirked and shrugged, taking a drink as I checked the mail on the side table. Yes, we got mail and I checked it. It was like I owned the place, "But I am leaving because you, Damon Salvatore, are distracting. As you know I have to get something done, you will be there, in the room, explaining to me the technicalities of the library scene in 'Atonement' and suggesting that we try it out ourselves. So I am going home."

There was the eye thing…oh god what was coming next? "Well…if you wanted to try it out all you had to do was ask."

Wow…"Damon, seriously?"

He held his hands up, a smug expression on his face, "You brought up sex first."

"And you are so mature. I mean, sometimes I think maybe you're not 16…rarely…I might add, very rarely." He shot me a scowl and I laughed, pressing a kiss to his cheek before opening the door and walking out into the drive towards my car, "See you later Salvatore."

When I got home I spent at least two hours planning. It didn't take me long to figure out what this surprise would be. I knew Damon and I knew he'd hate the huge party that Caroline would have thrown for him. As I knew from when she planned one for me (in his house), he didn't appreciate that. Sure we were free to come and go from the Boarding House as we pleased but he didn't like strangers in there at all…just because the door was never locked didn't mean it was a public area.

So I was sitting on my bed with a pad of lined paper, a pen, Giuseppe's diary and my computer in front of me. It was going to be a small thing, I mean, he'd never told anyone his birthday in the past few years so there was no possible way that he'd suspect anything. I'd written a list already; Alaric, Caroline, Bonnie, Tyler and Jeremy who was coming back tomorrow for a long weekend. Apparently he had 'days off school'…I wish, but I missed him too much to be a good sister and tell him not to come home. But as I said, it was going to be a small thing.

Rather than a party I'd chosen a nice and civilised dinner. Somehow I remembered Damon once telling me that his favourite meal (human meal rather than people themselves), was Beef Wellington…I know…not exactly what I expected either. I'd made it a few times before back with my parents and Jenna, although the latter was a hopeless cook it turned out alright. It also just so happened that it was one of my father's favourites too and we had a sort of family recipe in a folder my mother used to keep. It was like a cooking bible; the best possible version of every recipe in there with all her writing where she'd changed it. I loved it.

Once that was sorted I called everyone I'd planned to invite. Sure he wasn't Bonnie's biggest fan and he kind of hated Tyler but they both said they'd be there…and Bonnie even seemed halfway excited. I didn't quite know what to think of that. When I told Caroline about my plan she had gone crazy, reprimanding me for not telling her that it was his birthday and began on a long rant about throwing (another) party. I stopped that train of thought quickly and made her promise not to…under pain of vervain…rhyme not intended.

Once that was all done I wrote a shopping list for tomorrow and put it in my diary. By now it had been three hours since I'd left the Boarding House and it was quickly getting dark outside. I didn't want to spend the night here alone ever again; I didn't even want to be here on my own in the dark so I packed up my things, making sure there was no evidence of what I'd done just in case Damon decided to make a visit when I wasn't here. He tended to do that a lot. I put the diary carefully wrapped in a pillow case under a huge folded up blanket on the shelf at the top of my closet, knowing it wouldn't be found there.

Before I left I remade Jeremy's bed and put the heating on low so he wouldn't come back to an empty and cold house if I wasn't here when he was back. Then, slinging my bag over my shoulder, I locked up and went back to my all black Range Rover. Well…it wasn't really mine, but I liked to say it was. Since I didn't have a car anymore and Damon owned three plus a motorbike, he'd decided to give me (yes give me) his top-of-the-range Range Rover. I put up a fight, but to tell the truth I'd already been using it all the time anyway. He didn't seem to mind at all. The only problem with it was the tinted windows and the blatant fact that it was brand spanking new and expensive; I looked like a fucking drug lord driving around Mystic Falls. It was even bullet-proof…he claimed that when he'd bought it he'd had me in mind and the amount of trouble I got into…dick.

When I got back to the Boarding House I dumped my things in the spare room that I'd adopted and gone hunting to find Damon, eventually finding him on the back porch overlooking the vast gardens. He was sitting on the swing bench listening to his iPod and drinking a glass of blood; I swear he never left the house. The sight of someone's blood in a glass to be drunk didn't even repel me anymore…that's when you know your life's fucked up.

I sat down next to him and let out a sigh. And we sat in silence as the sun sank low over the horizon, hovering on top for a second before its rays turned amber and the bright orb of light disappeared from sight. It can't have been long after that that I fell asleep, falling into a deep slumber. It didn't occur to me that I was lying with my head on Damon's lap, that his hands were in my hair…that this felt perfectly normal and…well…perfect.